Cigarette-box cap.



I atentad Aug. 2:, I900.

r E. HILSON.

CIGARETTE BOX CAP.

(Application filed Dec. 14, 1899.]

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: dxo mlb m: Nonms PETERS 0a.. PHQTO-LITHO., ww-lmurow. u. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD I-IILSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CIGARETTE-BOX CAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,350, dated August 21, 1900.

Application filed December 14,1899. 'Serial NON/40,250. (No model.l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD HILsON, a citizen of the United States, residing, at New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigarette-Box Caps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to boxes for holding cigarettes and similar articles.

These boxes as arule, as is well known, consist of an outer rectangular tube open at both ends, and a tray in which cigarettes are laid that fits closely inside of the tube, but which can be slid out at either end of the tube when it is desired to take a cigarette out and .pushed in to prevent the cigarettes from being exposed, and also to retain themin the box. Generally speaking, the tray has a bottom, sides, and ends, so that when it is slipped into the tube its full length the contents are entirely concealed, but in certain other cases a the tray has but one end, and when the box is closed the ends of the cigarettes are exposed, and when one or two have been taken out if the box happens to fall or become inverted all of the cigarettes are liable to drop out, and at all times the ends are exposed to injury, the air, dust, doc. I

The object of my invention is to provide means by which a cigarettebox having a tray with one open end can be converted into a closed box when desired.

To this end the invention consists in providing the box with a cap which can be placed over the bottom or closed end of the box when the top end is open and taken from the bottom and placed over the other end when it is desired to close the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a cigarette-box and the cap therefor, which is shown placed over the bottom of the box in solid lines and in dotted lines over the top of the box. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cap. Fig. 3 is the blank from which the cap is made, and Fig. 4: is the cap arranged for folding.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the rectangular outer tube or case of a cigarette in this condition is objectionable, because as soon as the cigarettes become loosened by the removal of one or more those that remain are liable to fall out whenever the box is taken out of the pocket. To overcome this defect, I provide a cap D, which is of the same general form as the box, being rectangular, but is much shorter than the box. It is, however, made sufficiently large to adapt it to be fitted over the outside of the box. Hence except in length it is a little larger than the box proper, so that it can be placed over the ends of the box either at the bottom or top. This cap is formed from a blank made in one piece by cutting it out of paper, cardboard, or similarimaterial of the shape of the blank shown in Fig. 3, in which E is the back; F, the front; G G, the ends; H, the top; I, the tucking-flap; J J, the turn-over flaps that close the openings between the ends G G and the top H, and K is a pasting flap on the free end of the front F for con necting the front F with the end G. In the formation of the cap the blank is creased on the lines 1 2 to enable the ends G G to be bent around at right angles to the back E, on the line 3 to enable the front F to be bent around at right angles to the end G and par. allel to the back E, on the line 5 to enable the top H to be turned over at right angles to the back E, on the line 6 to enable the tucking-flap I to be turned over at right angles to the top H, and it is incised on the lines 7 8 to separate the turned-in flaps J J from the top H, and creased on the lines 9 10 to enable the turned-in flaps J J to be turned over at right angles to the endsG G. There is also a creased line 11 between the flap K and front F to enable the said flap to be turned or bent at right angles to the front.

A blank formed as above described is manipulated to form the cap in the following manner: The ends G G are bent around at right anglesto the back E, and the front is bent around at right angles to the end G and parallel to the back E and secured in that position by pasting the flap K to the inside of the end G. The flaps J J are next turned over at right angles to the ends G G, and the top H is turned over on the top of the flaps J J, and the tucking-flap I is tucked in between the edges of the flaps J J and the front F, thereby forming the complete cap shown in Fig. 2. This cap, it will be seen, is just large enough to fit closely and securely over the bottom end of the box, as shown in Fig. 1, where it is held by friction. When the necessity of keeping the upper end or top of the box open no longer exists, the cap is removed from the bottom of the box and placed over the top thereof, as indicated by the broken lines in Fig 1, thus closing the box and securing the cigarettes therein againstin jury and concealing them from view.

The creased lines between the several parts of the cap being flexible form hinges that permit the ends G G to be bent down flat and the front F to be laid down against the back when the tucking-flap I is pulled out and the top H is turned up in the same plane as the back E, whereby the cap can be folded flat for packing, &c.

I claim 1. The combination with the inner sliding trayB having it upper end open, and the outer tube A also having its upper end open of a cap D made in a single piece from paper, and consisting of the back E, front F with the flap K connected therewith, the ends G G, top H, tucking-flap I turn-over flaps J J sepa rated from the top H but connected with the ends G G the flap K being connected with the end G, substantially as specified.

2. Acapforclosingtheopenendofcigaretteboxes made in a single piece from paper, and consisting of the back E, front F with the flap K connected therewith, the ends G G", top H, tucking-flap I, turn-over flaps J J separated from the top H but connected with the ends G G the flap K being connected with the end G, as and for the pupose specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD IIILSON.

Witnesses: Lao WV. -MAYER, \VM. RUBEN. 

